Obituaries

Obituaries published in the February edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

ROGER COWLES

VIDOR —  Roger Cowles, 70, longtime editor, reporter and employee of the Port Arthur News, died Dec. 26.

He is remembered as a quiet but influential force in Southeast Texas journalism, a steady presence whose career spanned decades and whose work helped shape how a community saw itself, according to the newspaper’s obituary.

Cowles devoted more than 40 years of his career with The News, serving  in a variety of roles, including editor and managing editor.

A Port Arthur native who grew up in Groves, he began his career in the 1970s. While studying at Lamar University, he served as an editor for the University Press. Throughout his career, he remained committed to local journalism throughout an era of dramatic change in the industry.

Colleagues and community leaders said Cowles believed deeply in the responsibility of newspapers to inform, explain and serve and not inflame. He was known for his calm demeanor, careful editing and thoughtful leadership, particularly during moments of public controversy or high community emotion.

Former colleagues recalled multiple occasions when Cowles personally addressed concerns from readers or community members, believing conversation and transparency were essential to public trust.

He was known to explain newsroom decisions such as editorial choices, photo placement or coverage priorities with clarity and respect.

In addition to daily news coverage, Cowles took a special interest in stories that reflected the identity and history of Port Arthur. He supported coverage of education, civic organizations, museums and cultural institutions, believing those stories were as important as breaking news. He was also instrumental in the development of Greater Port Arthur magazine, which highlighted the region’s people and achievements.

Cowles retired from the Port Arthur News in 2016. Moving to Vidor, he enjoyed gardening and farming, caring for his animals and being outdoors. He was a devoted member of Iglesia Bautista de la Fe in Vidor, where he served as a Sunday school teacher and community volunteer.

He is survived by his wife, Celines DelValle Cowles of Vidor, four children and other relatives.

Funeral services were held Dec. 28 at Iglesia Bautista de la Fe in Vidor. Interment followed in Orange.

MIKE KELLEY

WIMBERLEY – Veteran Austin journalist Mike Kelley, who for 20 years wrote a humor column for the American-Statesman, died unexpectedly in his sleep Sunday, Dec. 22, at his Wimberley home. He was 81.

Born Oct. 14, 1944, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Margret and Woodrow Kelley, he grew up in Commerce, Texas, about 65 miles northeast of Dallas. His mother taught in East Texas schools for 30 years, while his father retired as vice president of business affairs at East Texas State University.

A graduate of East Texas State University, Kelley served in the U.S. Air Force before moving to Austin.

Kelley performed many roles at the Statesman. In 1977, Editor in Chief Ray Mariotti asked Kelley to write a thrice-a-week humor column.

In a publication that looked and acted more like an ambitious big city newspaper, Kelley shared the spotlight with star columnists John Kelso and Ellie Rucker. In his typical droll fashion, Kelley penned his own third-person biographical sketch to introduce what became a longtime column.

“For the newspaper, he has been police reporter, copy editor, city editor and rewrite man, and has done tolerably well at each,” Kelley wrote about himself. “He is grateful for being Irish and for having a steady job.”

While Kelso used a happy cudgel to elicit a laugh, Kelley employed a scalpel. After management canceled his regular column, Kelley moved back to more mundane reporting. Following his retirement, he withdrew from the public eye, but kept up with nephew Chris Kelley, and some friends.

“Mike was a singular character of remarkable talent and quirky personality,” said political cartoonist Ben Sargent. “He was always a funny and gracious friend, and I regret that all of us lost touch with him so many years ago.”

“Mike’s greatest moments came during 20 years as a columnist on the local front,” wrote editor Fred Zipp when Kelley retired in 2000. “In the ‘80s, his subtle sarcasm and thirst for irony were the perfect foil for the self-importance of a city consumed by its real estate boom that went bust.”

Before taking up the column, Kelley wrote wry, colorful stories about subjects such as a coyote hunter in Bell County and a move by a druggist to take speed off the shelves.

“Mike was a wonderful colleague, a brilliant mind, inventive writer, and unfailingly gracious and kind,” said David Frink, who worked in the newsroom from 1972 to 1984. “And funny does not do him justice. He was a quiet, well-spoken assassin with a quip, often delivered with just the hint of a smile, sometimes followed with genuine laughter.

“Mike also was a true mentor to dozens and dozens of Statesman staffers young and old,” Frink continued. “He provided his direction or suggestions with a gentle touch and never hurried through them. When I first joined the paper in 1972 as a copy boy, Mike encouraged me to sit with him on the night-side copy desk and showed me how to write headlines, edit copy and begin to lay out pages. As generous with his time and experience as he was a wonderful writer and friend. There was no one like him in that newsroom.”

“He had a big heart,” said former colleague Janet Wilson. “He was a good guy, a very good guy. He will be missed by many.”

Kelley is survived by two brothers, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Funeral services were private. Memorials may be made to the Commerce Public Library.

Tommie Lee (T. L.) Wyatt

From the Villager

Tommie Lee (T. L.) Wyatt, a steadfast voice for Austin’s Black community and a lifelong champion of truthful, empowering journalism as founder and editor of The Villager Newspaper, died Jan. 9 at the AVIR at Park Bend facility in Austin. He was 88 years old.

Born in Point Blank, Texas, on July 27, 1937, to Ardalia Standifer, T. L. grew up and earned a football scholarship to attend Bishop College in Marshall, where he played and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Wyatt moved to Austin in 1962, entering a city still governed by the constraints of segregation. Yet he remembered East Austin not for its imposed limits, but for its brilliance: a vibrant, self-sustaining Black community filled with thriving businesses, cultural pride, and deep-rooted connection. That sense of possibility stayed with him.

In 1973, Wyatt, his then-wife Barbara, and a friend co-founded The Villager Newspaper with a bold and necessary mission—to shine a light on the positive stories of Black Austin. At a time when mainstream media often portrayed African Americans through narrow or negative frames, The Villager became a counter narrative, a source of affirmation and truth.

When his co-founders moved on to other careers, Wyatt remained, carrying the paper forward with unwavering commitment. He focused on the neighborhoods, families, and issues that needed visibility, insisting that Black communities deserved coverage that reflected their full humanity.

Wyatt often said, “The community needed a voice,” whether through his newspaper, his magazine Loquacity or the only Black radio station in Austin at the time, KAZI.

Having grown up reading Black newspapers, he knew the standard they set — and he held himself to it. He credited community support as the force that kept The Villager strong through the decades. As technology changed the media landscape, Wyatt remained convinced of the enduring importance of Black newspapers. He said, “People still keep scrapbooks of articles. We continue to do the work for the people.” His belief in print was never nostalgia — it was a commitment to accessibility, memory and belonging.

Beyond journalism, Wyatt became a respected civic leader, serving on numerous boards and commissions, including the Private Industry Council, the Austin Cable Commission, and the East 11th Street Village Association. He implemented programs such as the Youth Brigade to help support the education of children. Through contacts with major corporations like Budweiser, Frost Bank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, Wyatt was able to infuse a financial lifeline for much-needed community resources. And through his connections within the Austin City Council and the City of Austin, Wyatt was able to show the wonderful opportunities that East Austin had to give back to the city. His work helped shape policy, preserve culture, and uplift communities too often overlooked by city leadership.

Wyatt is survived by his son Thomas L. Wyatt, granddaughter and great-grandchildren.

Visitation was held Jan. 20 at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville. Funeral services were held Jan. 21 at the funeral home with committal service at the Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery, also in Pflugerville.